Author: Deb Lyons

Today saw the second class visits from one of local schools – it was the turn of the year 3 class. They had a day packed full of learning – using Lego to build robots and then program them using WeDo software.

In the afternoon they used Purplemash linking to their literacy theme – Traditional tales – today we asked the question :

Witch or Wizard, which are you?

They design shelves full of potions, Spooky castles and the highlight was using the MashCams to speech and record their voices as their character!

Safer Internet Day (SID) is organised in the UK by the UK Safer Internet Centre in February of each year to promote the safe and responsible use of online technology and mobile phones for children and young people.

Safer Internet Day 2015 was on Tuesday 10th February 2015, with the theme ‘Let’s create a better internet together’, offering the opportunity to focus on both the creative and positive things that children and young people are doing online, as well as the role that we all play in helping to create a better internet.

This is the first inter-school competition that Bolton Schools ICT unit has organised for schools. It was felt that with changes in the new computing curriculum and the access children have to the internet and social media this was the ideal opportunity to raise the awareness and importance of safeguarding and esafety learning.

Schools entries could take the form of any format – video, collage, posters or even computer games. Bolton Schools ICT unit was astounded with the quality and quantity of entries, clearly schools have taken this opportunity to raise the esafety learning in their schools and are now looking to make this an annual event.

Thank you and well done to the schools that submitted entries, to see the highlights and the list of winners, click on the image below.

It was a day full of learning using Lego WeDo kits to build Lego models, then they had to write computer programs which downloaded to their Lego models. using ipads and various apps to record their learning, below are some of the highlights.

Today we sent Mrs Lyons and Mr Mills from BoltonSICT to Lostock Primary . Their mission was to introduce reception, year1 and year5 classes to programming. They took their iPads so the pupils could use Purplemash -the younger pupils used 2Go and year 5 used 2Code, they spoke new computer science language – algorithm, blocks of codes and debugging. The lessons went too quickly, everyone enjoyed the lessons..

News is spreading through our schools here in Bolton, regarding our computing trip. This time is was the turn of St Maxentius school to come to our training centre.

They spent the day using the Lego software WeDo, they used the ipads to record their learning. In the afternoon a small group were chosen to work with Mr Mills using the LEGO Mindstorm – just opening the box looked complicated! Here is a video of some of the highlights:

Over then next few months we are going to be having regular visits from one of local schools – the first class to visit was their year 2 class. They had a day packed full of learning – using Lego to build robots and then program them using WeDo software. In the afternoon the ipads were out, they used purplemash to create out rainforest creepy crawlies, learnt how to search and save images safely and then used the app – Book Creator .

If you were on this trip, we would love to hear your comments from the day

The morning focus was CEOP Esafety training. In the afternoon an app quiz, a presentation by a school who recently attended the ‘Making Children Safer Online Conference ran by Jim Gamble & Ineqe Group – very thought provoking fact and figures – how various agencies support our young people when online.

We also looked at resources for Bolton schools and discussed what happens next.